First Nation community protest mega quarry plans for Niagara Escarpment
Posted April 22, 2011 7:20 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Both members of Canada’s First Nations community in addition to other concerned citizens are taking to the streets to protest a proposed mega quarry for the Niagara Escarpment.
Mark Calzavara, who is the regional organizer with the Council of Canadians, told 680News the local community is against the proposed 2,316 acre mega quarry, which would be a quarter the size of downtown Toronto and 1.5 times deeper than Niagara Falls.
“What’s going to happen to their way of life? We are talking about 3,000 loaded trucks a day going through their community, 24 hours a day, like every 35 seconds is what the opponent is wanting to do,” said Calzavara.
He said the massive hole will require 600-million litres of water to be pumped out each day. “The concern is for all the wells in the area, all the head waters of the river as well,” Calzavara told 680News
The quarry would sit right on the edge of the Niagara Escarpment, which is an officially declared, a biosphere reserve by UNESCO.
The application for this project was filed forty days ago, and there are only five days left for people to comment on the proposal.
Calzavara said time to stop the project is running out, “the Highlands Company, that’s the company that wants to do this, they filed their application 40 days ago now. They are hoping to start digging their quarry as soon as they get approval.”
Members of the First Nations community and other Canadian citizens are taking to the streets to protest the mega quarry with a five day, 117 kilometre walk.
